The Toastmasters Podcast

[29:15] On the Toastmasters Podcast, it’s our annual tradition‚Äîand a true pleasure‚Äîto interview the newest World Champion of Public Speaking. This year, we’re thrilled to feature Luisa Montalvo, who claimed the 2024 title this past August at Toastmasters International’s 100th Anniversary Convention in Anaheim, California, with her speech titled “37 Strangers.”

[29:17] In this episode we speak with the 2024-2025 Toastmasters International President Radhi Spear, DTM. Radhi shares with us stories about her amazing personal and Toastmasters journey to become the International President and lessons learned along the way. She also inspires us with her vision for the upcoming year. Radhi is featured in the September 2024 issue of the Toastmaster magazine profile entitled: "Meet Radhi Spear, DTM: The 2024-2025 International President is gearing up for growth," by Laura Mishkind.

[24:39] The words "Kind" and "Nice" are simple words often used interchangeably as synonyms without thought, but they can often carry entirely different connotations. In the episode we speak with marketing executive, communications expert and author Ben Guttmann, who will explore the differences, explain when and how each can be used, and how why one of them is key to better communication.

[22:56] Poor communication is not necessarily about clarity or simplicity but rather, according to our guest, Charles Duhigg, because we’re having different kinds of conversations. On today’s episode, Charles will enlighten us on how we can identify and tune in to the right conversation, highlight key ways we can enhance our communication skills, and show us how anyone can become a Supercommunicator. Charles also shares personal stories and wisdom from his latest book, including how he fell into a bad pattern with his wife, a failing CIA recruiter, how NASA chooses astronauts, and more. You’ll also walk away with useful tips and techniques that you can put to use right away.

[21:34] Chairing a Toastmasters International Convention can be a rewarding experience, but hosting the organization’s 100th anniversary event and combining that journey with a family connection can enhance the magic even more. On today’s episode, we speak with host co-chairs Joan Lewis (right) and Jessica Allen (left), a mother-and-daughter duo who will be there to welcome Toastmasters from around the world who’ll be congregating in Anaheim, California, from August 14-17, 2024, to mark Toastmasters’ 100th anniversary.

[37:39] The Toastmasters International Golden Gavel is the prestigious annual award bestowed upon an individual distinguished in the fields of leadership and communication. In today’s episode, we speak with the 2024 recipient Lisa Sun who shares with us a little about her incredible journey and give us a sneak peek into her upcoming convention presentation, "Cultivating Courage: Reframe Results to Compel Action." As added bonuses, Lisa highlights of each of the eight super-powers from her new national bestselling book and talks about her "My Confidence Language Quiz."

[28:22] Toastmasters can certainly be a family affair. In this episode, we speak with Todd Bryant about his delightful experience bringing his six-year-old daughter, Cambrie, to a Toastmasters meeting, where she was fully engaged in the activities and proceeded to walk away that day with a prized ribbon for Best Table Topics speech.

[33:37] In this episode, we speak with renowned motivational speaker Shawn Ellis who has the honor of being the opening keynote speaker, marking Toastmasters’ 100th anniversary at the 2024 Toastmasters International Convention to be held in Anaheim, California from August 14-17, 2024.

[25:01] You may be amazed to discover that building and leading successful teams is very much like being a master gardener. In today’s episode, we’ll hear from speaker, author, business coach, and Wellbeing Specialist, Lauren Parsons, who will enlighten us on this concept. Using the Master Gardener metaphor, Lauren will help us develop our proverbial green thumb by assisting us in better understanding and visualizing some elements of leadership, which can sometimes be viewed as a broad and abstract concept, as it can manifest itself in various forms and styles.

[28:47] For speakers to be effective, they not only need to be competent communicators and experts in their field, but they also need to be authentic to help build trust and credibility. In today’s episode, our guest Elizabeth (Liz) Danziger will enlighten us on, "Cultivating authenticity as a speaker - helping us learn how to let your true self shine while presenting,"  which happens to be the title of her article that appeared in the January 2024 issue of the Toastmaster Magazine.